Bound in Ink
by Traell
Summary: When Sakura moved into her first apartment she would have never thought it would be the moment to define her life. A lesson in the consequences of curosity, and how some memories are left buried in ink. Kakashi/Sakura
1. Chapter 1

* * *

Memories of a Forgotten Past

Chapter 1

AN: Just cleaning up some spelling and grammar errors. I don't have a beta so they're bound to occur.

* * *

unfulfilled

_The rain matched the beat of her sandaled feet. She could feel every slap of her kunai pouch hitting her thigh as she jumped from branch to branch. Her breath was raspy; lungs burning from every mouthful of air. She was neither the champion of stamina, nor the frontrunner of speed, but today she would be. The life of somebody important rested on her shoulders._

_His dead weight pressed heavily on her back; a struggled breath blew against her ear while his blistered arms lay limp across her chest making his legs feel like dead weight in her arms. The blood soaking into her shirt only acted as a reminder to her of what this man had done for her. She thought over all the countless times he saved her, and today she would save him. Whether the enemy nin catching up to her liked it or not. New resolve entered her eyes. Her legs suddenly beat harder against the tree branches. She loved this man too damn much to give up on him now._

* * *

"Wow Sakura-chan this place is way nicer than mine!" Sakura could only sigh as her loud and boisterous blonde friend's voice echoed across her new brand new apartment. Well, old brand new apart, the apartment was over thirty years old situated in a very old geezer part of town; she had already gotten some nasty disapproving looks from her elderly neighbours_. _A small giggle escaped her mouth;_ Kakashi-sensei only lives two blocks away._

Speaking of her irritably late sensei, he had yet to show his masked face at her moving in party. _He better have a good excuse he lives so damn close_! "Eh forehead if you keep frowning like that you're going to get wrinkles on that billboard of yours." Sakura turned around only to be greeted by a grin of her best friend and eternal rival carrying her love seat sofa with the help of a bemused Shikamaru.

"Shut it Pig!" Ignoring Ino she could barely contain another sigh as she spotted Naruto set down a box clearly labelled "kitchen" in her bathroom. She loved her blonde friend to death but sometimes his occasional dim-wittedness still hurt her brain. "Ugly." Sakura's left eye only twitched slightly at the familiar nickname. Turning towards her bedroom to where Sai's voice had come from, she moved to the entrance. Sai rouse from an open box, and stood in front of Sakura with a very curious look on his normally blank face, he held out his hand expectantly. "Could you possibly tell me what the purpose of this odd piece of fabric is?" Sakura's face went as red as the familiar lacy fabric held in his hand. "Sai, why the hell are you going through my things!?" Snatching her favourite pair of panties from his hand, she smacked him to the floor.

The door bell rang just as Sakura was strangling the confused look off her oblivious friend's face. Unclenching her hands around Sai's neck, Sakura quickly shoved her panties in her vest pocket, turned around, and walked towards her door.

There, standing near her door frame rubbing the back of his neck was her smut reading ex-sensei. Naruto seemed to already gotten the jump on berating his tardiness. The occupants of the room all stopped unpacking to watch the scene unfold "Kakashi-sensei you do realize that you're three hours late!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah Sensei, you better have a good excuse for showing up after everything has actually been moved in." Sakura added, while poking a finger into his vest; she couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of it. Before Kakashi could give one of his trade mark excuses, the person who had been silently watching the scene finally decided to make his presence known.

"It was my fault he was late." His cold uncaring voice wiped the smile from Sakura's face.

"Oh... Hi Sasuke-kun."

"Eh, teme what are you doing with Kakashi?" Naruto bellowed, a scowl forming on his whiskered faced.

"I was sparring with him, dobe" Sasuke's return was still the hot topis even if it had been a year since Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura had dragged him back home half dead. Naruto and Sasuke practically killed each other for the second time. Their bond had returned to as it had been before Sasuke left, but Sakura had found it hard to act around him. She couldn't deny that a part of her was still immensely in love with him, but since his return the tiny connection between them as kids couldn't have been more non-existent.

Plastering an amiable smile on her face, Sakura ushered both of them in. Naruto immediate wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and dragged him into the kitchen, mumbling something about making him a drink. Sakura watched them briefly before turning towards her old sensei. "Well since you're so late Kakashi-sensei I'm volunteering you to put together my bed." The mischievous smile on her face disappeared when she noticed the strange look on his face. Even with his mask on it was hard to ignore the solemn look that his visible eye emitted, as he gazed over her apartment. Sensing his discomfort, Sakura laid her hand on his arm. "Kakashi are you alright?" Her voice startled him suddenly. Kakashi turned towards Sakura and immediately put on his signature eye crease.

"What about your bed Sakura?" Frowning softly, Sakura ushered him towards her bedroom all the while glancing at his indifferent masked face.

________

"Are you sure you're going to be okay on your first night alone Sakura-chan?" Naruto drunken slurr caused Sakura to roll her eyes.

"Yes Naruto."

"Because if you want Sakura-chan I'd be more than happy to spend the night with you." A large grin spread across his fox-like face, as he wiggled his eyes up and down. Her fist on his head was her only response.

"Don't be stupid dobe." Sasuke's voice echoed from her hallway. Rubbing his head and smiling Naruto stumbled through her door to join Sasuke. Waving slightly, Sakura shut the door behind them, and leaned against her door. A small smile formed on her lips as she glanced around her perfect ideal first apartment.

It had quite the modest looking kitchen which was directly attached to a fairly sizeable living room. Her bathroom was located one hallway down next to her bedroom, and at the end of the hallway was a fairly large storage closet. She could already picture where to put everything.

_Now, to see a man about a bed. _Dodging a couple boxes and misplaced furniture, Sakura moved towards her bedroom door. It was about 10:00 a clock and Kakashi had still not left her room. _A man of a thousands jutsu beaten by one queen sized bed._ Rolling her eyes Sakura stepped into her bedroom only to stop at the door. Kakashi was sitting on her newly put together bed in the middle of her bedroom with the same look he had on his face earlier. Grimacing, the medic part of Sakura pushed her to slowly approach him and place a hand on visible and pale cheek. _He doesn't feel warm_.

"Are you feeling okay Kakash-sensei?" Shrugging her hand off, he got up and made his way towards her bedroom door. Turning around he placed his hand on the back of his head and gave her a familiar eyes crease again.

"I feel fine Sakura. Just used too much chakra while sparring with Sasuke. Congrats on the new place." Before she could retort, he gave a weak good bye and was gone before she could blink twice.

_Well that was weird._ Yawning softly, making a mental note to reflect on Kakashi's behaviour later, Sakura looked around her room to find the box of her bed sheets. She'd do some more unpacking tomorrow, but for now she was going to saviour her new independence.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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_unrequited_

_A green light was the only light that resonated in the dank and damp cave. The only sound she could hear was her own heart beat. Her hands burned as she struggled to pour as much healing chakra she could into his damaged body. Squeezing her eyes she forced the unshed tears to disappear. Her tears would do her no good, they never did. Turning her head, she gazed deeply at his bruised and torn masked face. Her concentration could not be broken as she continued to put together what was left of her teammate. She knew the night would be long, but she was willing to do anything for him. Anything but give him what he truly wanted. For her to give up on him would be unimaginable. Even if she got in huge trouble every time she illegally left the village to save him. There were perks to being the student of the Hokage after all. _

_Hanging her head, she bit her lip as the light faded from her hands. Ignoring the weakness in her limbs she slowly applied bandages to wounds she could not heal. She grabbed her travel blanket from her pack and draped it over his newly bandaged chest. As fatigue began to take over she rested her head over his heart and continued to listen to it throughout the night, savouring the only time it truly was beating for her._

* * *

"Hey forehead this place does clean up quite nice." Ino voice echoed from the couch as Sakura put her last dish away. She had come over earlier this morning to "help", which basically consisted of Sakura putting everything away and Ino lying on her bed or sofa telling her where to put things. _So much for making it mine. _

"Told you pig."

"What are you doing with those boxes?" Sakura turned her head to see Ino slung over the back of her sofa digging through an un-labelled box.

"In the back storage closet," Ino turned to her head, yawned and flopped back on her sofa mentioning something about how she should do that so they could go get something to eat.

Sighing loudly, Sakura picked up the boxes and carried them down the hall way. Opening the closet door she knelt on her knees and began shoving them in the back of the closet. Slapping her hands together she was about to get up before noticed something strange in the back corner. Leaning over on all fours she crawled under the first shelf. An odd coloured floor board with a tiny hole in it practically screamed at her. Biting her lip in curiosity Sakura reached towards it.

"What are to doing forehead?" Startled suddenly, Sakura jumped and banged her head on the shelf above her. Turning her head around, Sakura glared at her grinning friend who was crouched behind her. "Well are we going to get some lunch?" While rubbing her head Sakura stood and muttered an "alright" before grabbing her coat from her bedroom.

----------------------

Opening the door to her apartment, Sakura quickly went to drop her groceries into the kitchen before walking back towards her hallway. With a determine look on her face she shrugged her coat off and quickly tossed it on her bed before heading for her storage closet.

All throughout her lunch she couldn't stop thinking about the ominous floor board in her closet. She barely remembered the gossip Ino had been discussing all throughout lunch. Frowning slightly, Sakura opened the closet door slowly and crouched down. Reaching back into the closet her slim fingers reached towards the hole and pulled the off-coloured floor board from its place. Licking her lips in deep curiosity, Sakura slipped her hand slowly in the hole. Feeling around the dusty crevice, her fingers came in contact with soft velvet fabric. Sakura grasped her hand around the solid material. Just as she was lifting the item out, a knock on the door startled it out of her hands as her head banged against the shelf. Swearing, Sakura crawled out and started walking down her hallway towards the insistent knocking on her door.

"Well hello there little lady you must be my new neighbour." The old looking woman held out a basket of muffins and jam while sizing her up like fresh meat. "You are as young as they say." Her crinkly smile warmed Sakura's heart when she was immediately reminded of Chiyo from three years ago.

"Oh hi," Smiling back at the old woman Sakura reached out for the basket and invited her in for tea.

"We haven't had a young girl like you in this building in a long time." The statement caused Sakura to bite her lip as the old woman took a sip of tea smiling softly.

"I hope my age is not going to be a problem. I kind of get the feeling some people are uncomfortable with me being here." Sakura stated, clearly remembering the look of disdain of an elderly tenant on the first floor.

The old woman placed her cup down swiftly on the table, a small grimace on her face. "Just ignore all those old croons. If anyone gives you a problem you come straight to me. It's about time we had some youth in this building." Sakura eyes widened a fraction while an embarrassed flush rouse from her cheeks. Sighing softly she was about to thank the old woman for her kindness when she realized she had no idea what her name was. Sakura began apologizing profusely for her rudeness. The old woman only laughed.

"My dear you can just call me Megumi. There's no need to apologize I didn't ask for your name either."

Smiling back softly Sakura replied, "Haruno Sakura."

"Well it has been a pleasure to meet you Sakura, but I should get these old bones home." Standing up Sakura walked Megumi to the door thanking her for the muffins and the welcome.

After Sakura closed the door she leaned her head against it for a mere moment. _Well at least someone in this building is on my side. _Sighing softly Sakura went over to put the dirty cups in her sink before glancing down the hallway. Putting a hand on her grumbling stomach she immediately pulled out a muffin and began eat it methodically. _It could really be anything underneath there. 'If people stopped interrupting us we could figure it out' _Inner Sakura chimed. Scowling in exasperation, her inner curiosity and inner self officially annoyed for one day, Sakura set the half eaten muffin down on the table and all but ran towards her storage closet.

For the third and final time that day, Sakura got down on all fours, crawled in her closet, reached down the open floor board and grasped the item tightly in her hand before dragging it out. Sakura crawled backwards out of the closet a relieved sigh escaping her lips. Clutching her treasure in her hands she began un-wrapping the fabric.

"It's a book." Sakura said softly while running her hand down the rose coloured spine. A strange but not unfamiliar feeling made Sakura shiver. Sakura glanced down her hallway, licked her lips and opened to the first page.

* * *

AN: First off, thanks for the reviews ^.^ so if you didn't pick it up, cause i just kinda shoved it in there, Sakura is 18 i was thinking of places i could pop her age in there but it became annoying so shoved some Chiyo from Early Shippuden.

AS for spoiler warnings there may be a few, espeically after I watch the Kakashi Gaiden. ^.^ so be warned. (;.;) sorry for the cliffy :P


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

AN: Thank you for the reviews ^.^ and stuff. I just going to apologize ahead of time *hides behind a curtain*

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unwanted

_"Why did you come?"His wheezy voice made her grab her heart. Keeping her back to him she looked out of the cave. He had been asleep for four days. Four days of hiding their tracks and setting genjutsu traps. Four days of healing internal bleeding and second degree burns. Four days of holding her breath that the enemy nin squad that was following them wouldn't find their cave. Four days of hoping he wouldn't wake up and ask her that question. _

_"You should know that answer to that." She closed her eyes pushing her unwanted tears back, bracing herself for his response. To her disappointment, he said the other thing she hated to hear. _

_"You should have just left me there."His words brought a spiteful smile on her face._

_"So that you could almost die again!?" She spat the words out of her mouth. "When are going to stop doing this to yourself? Why can't you just accept and understand that it's not your fault?" Turning around she stared deeply at his one eye. "If you need to blame anyone it should be me!"_

_"You don't understand." The sting of his words left a bitter taste in her mouth. Yes, she had heard those words countless times. _

_Sighing at the ache in her heart she stood up. He always claimed that she would never understand the guilt he felt. It's why he went on these S-class suicide missions constantly. It was like he was punishing himself. _

_Turning around she said the same thing she said every time they had this conversation. "When are you going to understand that if you leave me I won't have anyone left in this world?" _

* * *

"It's blank?" Sakura stated out loud in the hallway. Leaning her head back against the door, a loud exasperated sigh echoed in the hallway. Glaring at the blank pages, she flipped through them searching for anything. Standing up slowly, Sakura entered her living room and dropped the book carelessly on the coffee table before flopping on the couch in annoyance. _All that trouble to hide it and it's blank. _Sakura glanced at her wrist watch. _Guess I should go meet Naruto for 'Team 7's weekly ramen meeting'. _Staring down at the book, Sakura rubbed her arms and tried to shake off the familiar aura it gave.

__________________

"Sai for the last time would you quit talking about my penis!" Naruto's voice rang out across Ichiraku as he slammed his hands down on the counter. Sakura glanced briefly over Sai's shoulder only to see Sasuke, who was seated to the left of Naruto, giving a look of disdain to the choice of conversation topic.

"I was only asking if you had your foreskin circumcised, because it could be the reason your penis is lacking in length."

Sakura turned away from Sai and started playing with her left over ramen. She had become quite accustom to this weekly ritualistic penis talk. "Sai, why are you asking that? I doubt Naruto even knows what foreskin or circumcision is." A large grin appeared on Sakura's face at her own comment.

"Of course I know what that is!" Naruto announced. Before leaning over to Sasuke and whispering "Ne, teme what's a foreskin."

"Shut up dobe." Sasuke bit out blushing profusely.

"Why Naruto-kun, the foreskin is the loose fold of skin that covers the glands of the penis, and circumcision is the removal of said foreskin, which is usually done for religious, aesthetic, health, or hygiene reasons." Sai's dictionary reply caused Sakura to burst out laughing. A look of mortification began etching on Naruto's face when he finally comprehended Sai's words.

Chuckling, Sakura turned to face towards her porn addict ex-sensei seated on her left. Placing her elbow down on the counter, Sakura leaned her chin on her fist and stared at him and began contemplating his weird behaviour last night. _He seems to be his nonchalant self again so what came over him yesterday? Was it really just chakra fatigue? _Her eyes scrolled him up and down looking for any sort injuries. Glimpsing up at his masked face, her eyes made contact with a very bored expression being sent her way.

"Is there something you wanted Sakura?"

Sitting up, Sakura rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Er, I was just wondering if you were feeling better today. You seemed a bit off at my apartment the other day."

Shutting his book and tucking it into his pocket, Kakashi stood up and placed his hand on affectionately on top of her head. "You worry too much Sakura-chan." Sakura's eyes widened a fraction at his out of character, and almost warm gesture. She looked up at his innocent eye crease before tilting her head down to hide her growing blush. Kakashi immediately removed his hand and began walking down the dark street. "See you around Sakura."

"Ne? Where's Kakashi he didn't pay his bill!" Naruto bellowed.

Throughout the night, the feeling of his fingers lingered in her hair.

_

* * *

_

_"Sakura are you paying attention?" Snapping out of her window gazing, a thirteen year old Sakura turned towards her teacher's annoyed expression. _

_"Yes, sorry shishou." Sakura got closer to her teacher's desk. _

_"Well you better be; this genjutsu is not an easy one. Even for someone with your chakra control." Sakura watched her teacher crack her neck before making unfamiliar hand seals. "Now what do you see?" Sakura looked around her shishou desk. _

_"Um, I don't see anything?" _

_"Exactly," Sakura looked at her teachers grin in curiosity. "It's called the vanishing act genjutsu. It may seem simple to make something vanish, but what makes this type of genjutsu different is you do not insert chakra flows into a person, but into an object; the object itself emits the illusion by radiating small amounts of chakra barely traceable by most shinobi. Most shinobi cannot do this type of genjutsu because they cannot create nor control such small rifts of chakra to complete the hand seals." _

_"What would be the advantages of this type of genjutsu?" Sakura inquired still trying to find out what her shishou vanished. _

_"Secrecy of course, many medical ninja utilize it to hide poisons, antidotes, and such. Now, watch." Tsunade gather chakra in her fingers and grasped an invisible object. Instantly a cup of sake appeared on her desk. Sakura rolled her eyes. "The advantage of this genjustsu is you have to actually find the object to be able to override the illusion. Now, tell me what the disadvantage Sakura?" _

_Bringing her fingers to her lips in thought, Sakura smiled suddenly and replied, "Because it requires such a small amount of chakra to create it, it doesn't need a lot to override it." _

_"Very good Sakura. Now, let's see you try." Tsunade commanded, showing her the hand seals again._

* * *

"That's it!" Sakura's eyes burst open as she sat up in her bed. Pulling the covers back, she made a mad dash to the living room. Stubbing her foot on her couch, Sakura hopped to her coffee table, shuffled her medical scrolls and mission reports around before knocking the book on the floor. Sakura picked it up, thanked her inner self for the flashback, and flopped on couch.

It had been a two weeks since she found it. Two weeks of not being able to shake the strange feeling it gave her. Two weeks of being distracted at the hospital and on missions. Two weeks of simply staring at it and wondering why someone would put effort into hiding a blank book in the back of a storage closet. Two weeks of constant curiosity berating her brain non-stop.

Sakura took a deep breath before opening the book. _I hope this works. _Looking down at the pages and biting her lip, Sakura summoned chakra to her finger and placed it down on the first page. Sakura eyes widened as a flood of ink writing began covering the back and front of each page in the book. _It was a genjutsu! That's why it gave me that weird feeling. I was sensing a weak genjutsu the whole time. _Smiling at her accomplishment, with her inner self cheering her on, Sakura's eyes fell to the first page.

_'I've read that journals and diaries are very therapeutic during hard and unbearable times. I am very thankful my mother bought me this as a present when I became a chuunin two years ago. She said I may need this one day in the near future when I would have no one to talk to. She was right._

_Two days ago I lost someone I took for granted for many years. He was the friend who was always there for me, when all I did was ignore him. If I wasn't so weak he wouldn't be dead.'_

Frowning, Sakura closed the book immediately. "It's a diary." She spoke out loud. _I can't read this. No wonder someone used a vanishing act genjutsu. _Sighing in guilt and mild disappointment, Sakura set the diary down back on the coffee table and went into her kitchen. Putting the kettle on the stove, Sakura placed her elbow on the counter and leaned on her hand. _'The person probably wanted someone to find it, someone to be smart enough to figure out how to read it.' _Inner Sakura stated.

Sakura glanced over in the direction of the book, and began trying to make sense of her inner self's twisted logic. '_People hide things, so that others can find them.' _Sakura grimaced, and picked up her shouting kettle. Not enjoying the manipulation from her inner self, Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and squeezed her eyes tightly shut trying to block her out. '_You know you're curious, and it will bug you every day until you crack and read it anyway. So why torture yourself? Just get it over with now.' _Sakura sighed knowing her inner self was right. _Alright but if it gets too personal it goes back underneath the floorboards! _Her inner self patted her on the back.

Sakura poured herself some tea before settled on her couch, pulling her throw over her shoulders, she noted the time on her watch. _It's 6:14 am. I'll read for an hour and then get ready for 'team 7's weekly training session' _Sakura picked up the book and continued.

'_I tried to talk about it with sensei, but he's so rattled with guilt. I don't want to bug him with my own weak emotions. But the thoughts and dreams won't leave me. I can still see him lying there half dead, grinning like the fool. All those countless surgeries I have done for the last four years would never prepare me for what happened. I can still feel his eye in my palm, their blood on my clothes. Why did I have to be a fool and get captured? I was always so weak, even with my medical jutsu I couldn't defend myself from those rock nin. If I had never-_

_The tears, they won't stop. I'm so selfish. Here I am balling my eyes out when I have no idea how he must feel. The pain he must be in. His face after the operation haunts my mind. I have never seen him look so upset, and terrified in my life. He wouldn't stop shouting his name after the accident. I had never seen him show so much emotion before. His tears, they still paralyze me when I think about it._

_I wish I could be the one to treat him in the hospital, but they've suspended me for my "reckless actions on the field". How awful it must be to be stuck in there while they run those invasive and horrible tests; people keep saying about how he may never get out and if he does he'll just end up "mysteriously" dead on the street. Kakashi-kun I'm so sorry.'_

"Kakashi!" Sakura said out loud; her eyes read the name over and over again in disbelief. _This person knew Kakashi-sensei! _Sakura quickly closed the book. Glancing down at the cover Sakura was startled to see the gold kanji on the front. Tracing the writing, Sakura spoke the name out loud. "Memoirs of Hoshino Rin."

______________________________

Sneezing sardonically, Kakashi ran a head through his silver drenched mop, and lifted his head to the weeping clouds. He slipped a hand under his hitae-covered eye and pressed his cool palm to his gift to help relieve the ache. Kakashi raised his other hand and traced his fingers over the familiar kanji names written on the memorial stone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

AN: ^.^ I made up Rin's last name. I did look it up, and was torn between throwing her in the Inuzuka clan (which people have suspected) or making my own one. But when I was researching the markings are quite different.

* * *

unaffectionate

_She _thoroughly_ enjoyed staring at his back all the time. She was quite accustomed to it. She used to accept that even if all he would ever give her was his back, then she would happily take it with a smile. But that was almost two years ago, and both of them had been through too much with each other. Now, she hated his back. They had been travelling at a non-stop pace, despite her recommendation that he at least rest another day, but she never expected for him to listen to her. He was in charge, he had rank, he was the genius prodigy, and yet from these recent events her faith in him had become almost non-existent. _

_Musing with her begrudged thoughts, she was swept with a feeling of fatigue causing her to suddenly stop and grab her chest. Feeling her heart palpitate, her eyes shut as she fell back towards the ground. Internally, she braced herself for the impact. Perhaps the fall would kill her? To her utmost dismay, the thought of never seeing his back caused an ironic pain to form in her heart. As fast as that thought occurred, she was swept up in mid air. Tiredly, she opened her eyes and stared straight at his concerned expression. _

_"Are you alright?" His question caused a sigh to fall from her lips. She nodded tiredly, took her arms, and wrapped them around his shoulders. His body stiffen at her unexpected embrace. She only snuggled further; not willing to pass up such a rare opportunity. Especially, since he had been avoiding her since their 'incident' over a year ago. Hearing him give a sigh she smiled when she felt him adjust her so she was hugging his back. She breathed in deeply, savouring his sandalwood smell, before nuzzling her head against his neck. He turned his head slightly in her direction before adjusting her legs in his arm. After that, he began to move amongst the trees again. She only had one thought before she drifted off asleep. "Maybe his back isn't so bad."_

_

* * *

_

_Hoshino Rin. _Sakura couldn't get the name out of her mind. Even as she crushed the ground before her feet to slow down Sai's ink beasts. _What was your connection to Kakashi?_

It was bad enough that said man was watching their spar with a confused look as he watched Sakura get trapped in Sai's ink bindings for the seventh time that morning. He observed as her battered and bruised body panted from exertion trying to free herself again. Kakashi hadn't seen her take a beating like that since she was a genin.

_Hoshino. _Sakura fell to her knees. _Rin. _Sai quickly drew his katana and ran towards her. Kakashi poofed in front of him and held up his hand. Sai immediately stopped.

"Alright I think that's enough for today. Good work Sai." Sai nodded, and then went to go stand next to Yamato on the other side of the field to watch Sasuke and Naruto. Kakashi turned to Sakura. She was bent over on all fours holding a healing hand to her, most likely, badly bruised ribs. Sighing and scratching the back of his neck, Kakashi leaned down on one knee beside her.

"Everything okay Sakura-chan?" He asked.

"Yeah, just some bruises that's all. I don't think anything is broken." She answered before sitting up on her knees. A pained look crossed her face before she turned to look at him. _"Kakashi-kun I'm so sorry."_ Shaking her head, Sakura ran a head through her dirty hair.

Kakashi brought his hand up and flicked her in the head. "Is everything okay up there?" He asked giving her an inquisitive look. Sakura glared at him and ran a gloved hand over her forehead.

"Yes. I'm fine." She reassured before rising to her feet, and attempting to hobble away from the infuriating man.

Kakashi rose to his feet and pulled out his book. "Are you getting your period early Sakura?" Kakashi grinned slyly when he saw her immediately stop, "Because if my calculations are correct, it shouldn't come for at least another fourteen days. In fact you should just be finished ovulating and if you want my opinion I don't think it's good for a girl your age to be getting such irregular periods. In fact, now that I think about it, weren't you late two months ago? That must have been quite stressful." Eyes wide and mouth open Sakura turned around, stunned. Kakashi grinned behind his book.

Silence filled the training grounds as a breeze tickled Sakura's blood stained medical apron. _I should probably take it to the cleaner. _Sakura pondered, her mind beginning to reboot. Blinking a few times to rehydrate her eyes, Sakura then closed her mouth and sloshed her saliva around in her mouth.

Memories of what just occurred began going through her mind. Her first thought was out of pure curiosity. _Hm,_ _I wonder how he knew that. _The second thought wasn't as pleasant. In fact the second thought caused her eye to twitch ever so sporadically. Then, beyond her control, her hands squeezed together into fists. And before Sakura knew it, she was already throwing herself at her ex-sensei and destroying the land behind him. Lifting her head up, her vision seeing red, she saw her ex-sensei reading on a fallen tree amongst the rubble.

"So, I'm guessing that's a yes?" He asked, eyes never leaving the page. Her mouth rippled into an ugly and un-lady like snarl. Forgetting all her previous bruises, she moved into for the kill.

Kakashi's eyes widened as she rushed him. Putting his book away, he pulled out a kunai and blocked the brigade shuriken she sent his way. Smiling and preparing himself for one hell of spar, Kakashi rushed past her towards where the boys were practicing. Bursting past a confused Yamato and Sai, Kakashi cleared the field where the boys were fighting and headed towards the forest. He only knew one good place to fight a raging bull.

Kakashi was very much aware what he said to her was beyond stupid, if not suicidal, but seeing her pitiful performance in training these past few weeks, today being the worst, it would appear he would have to take this situation into his own hands. Dodging a few senbon being thrown his way, Kakashi glanced behind him and caught a glimpse of the horrified expressions of Naruto and Sasuke as Sakura all but trampled them. "Perhaps the ovulation comment was a bit too much." Kakashi spoke to himself before turning around and lifting up his hitae to reveal his sharingan. He would definitely need it today.

_______

Naruto slowly got up from the rock he crashed into. Brushing off his pants, he approached Sasuke, who seemed to have met a similar fate with the tree. Naruto held out a helping hand to Sasuke. He took it, rose to his feet, and turned around. Scanning the wreckage, Sasuke pulled a twig from his hair and looked at it.

"Ne teme, Sakura is scary." Naruto stated, scratching the back of his bruised head.

"Yeah, and Kakashi-sensei is dead." Sasuke flicked the twig away and put his hands in his pockets.

"Hai." Naruto agreed.

______

"Kakashi you're dead!" Sakura yelled as she uprooted a tree and chucked it at him. Sighing at the large object heading towards him, Kakashi used a quick replacement jutsu before running towards the rather large pond he knew was in the vicinity. Dodging a couple kunai, he made his way to the waterfall cliff edge and jumped off. _Time to cool her off a bit_. Doing a couple hand seals Kakashi shouted, "Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" A large water dragon sprung up from the cliff and headed directly for the hot headed girl running right to it.

_When I catch up to that gross and disgusting bastard I am going to ring his neck. _Sakura thought breaching the tree line, scanning her vision she looked up just in time to barely dodge the water dragon. Tumbling on the ground near the edge of the cliff, Sakura got on her feet just in time for the dragon to hit her directly. The dragon threw her down the cliff into the pond. Sakura came up instantly sputtering and coughing up pond water. Swimming to the shallow end, Sakura stood up and looked around, only to stare at the two pairs of legs right in front of her. Looking up at the infuriating male before her, she gave him her best death glare. He knelt down next to her for the second time that day, and pealed the pond sewage off her head.

"Feeling better Sakura?" His said with his innocent eye crease. Staring up at him, an evil smile crossed Sakura's lips. It was at that moment that Kakashi knew he was screwed. The Sakura in the water poofed away, and the last thing Kakashi heard before he went immobile was "Ranshinshou!"

Sakura dragged Kakashi to the shore line of the pond before flopping down on the beach next to him in exhaustion.

"I wasn't aware Tsunade taught you that jutsu." Kakashi spoke while looking at Sakura's rough appearance out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, last year." Sakura answered closing her eyes.

"Ah." Kakashi began looking intently at Sakura's wet chest up and down.

"Kakashi?" Her voice snapped his gaze to her face.

"Hai?" Sakura opened her eyes and turned her head towards him.

"I don't think I can move either." Kakashi smiled at her words, and their newly created situation.

"Well luckily for you I can probably break this jutsu, but it will use up all my chakra reserves. So it will be a long walk back home. I hope you don't have a hot date tonight."

"Sadly no, men find me intimidating. I have no idea why?" Sakura grinned at Kakashi when she heard him let out chuckle.

Kakashi closed both his eyes in concentration. Several long moments passed before he struggled to lift up both hands to do the release seals. Her eyes spotted a lone bead of sweat as it trickled down his exposed and scarred cheek. She was startled at the urge to trace its turned her head immediately to stare at the afternoon sky. _Where the hell did that come from?_

His sudden movement startled Sakura out of her musing. Looking over at him, she saw him stretch the numbness out of his appendages. He took off his jounin vest, and began ringing it out checking to see if his belongings were all there. Sakura couldn't help but admire the physique of an elite jounin. '_Naruto and Sasuke really have nothing on him.'_ Inner Sakura chimed in her head. Sakura couldn't help the grin that appeared on her face.

"Ready to go?" Kakashi asked as he put his vest back on. Sakura turned away, hiding her blush.

Shaking the rubbish out of her head, she sighed in irritation, "I was serious when I said I couldn't move. Every muscle in my body hurts, and I'm pretty sure I sprained my ankle dodging your water dragon."

Kakashi turned his back towards her. Taking the hint, Sakura struggled to sit up and wrapped her bruised and beaten arms around his shoulders. Kakashi hoisted her on his back, and began walking towards Konoha.

"Thank you Kakashi."

Hearing Sakura's thank you, Kakashi made the mental note that she hadn't used the suffix all day. Not knowing what to make of it, Kakashi walked into the forest.

"Kakashi?" A grunt was his only response.

"Where are we anyway?"

"An abandoned ANBU training ground."

Sakura wrapped her arms around him tighter and raised her head to lie on his shoulder. His back stiffened for a moment before he quietly sighed and walked on.

"Kakashi?" Sakura mumbled tiredly.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"How do you know when my period is?" A grin appeared on Kakashi's face, he turned his head to tell her that when she was pmsing she tended to have explosive and almost unbearable pms, but before he could spout more suicidal nonsense he heard her soft snores brushing against his ear. His grip tightened on her bare legs, he shook his head at the feeling of, what he could only assume was, drool on his neck.


End file.
